Casa Gaïa

Terrazzo tile floors, blonde wood tables, blue and white earthenware, wicker suspension lamps…. When you step through the front door to Casa Gaïa, there’s no doubt about it: this taverna is a slice of the Mediterranean! And that’s because chef Tiago Silva (ex-Mandarin Oriental and Popup du Label in Paris) set out to find inspiration all across the Mediterranean Basin. The day we went for lunch, our plates were filled with all of the following: flash-seared and nearly raw lamb keftas, which melted on the tongue; chili marinated tofu seared in a breadcrumb coating, delicately placed atop pickled red cabbage; crispy zucchini, carrot and parsnip tempura fritters served with a fresh herb and garlic pesto… Why stop there when things are so good? Try the chocolate ganache quenelle, unless you’d rather have the pavlova-like clementines hidden underneath a thick cloud of cream. Not to mention some of the more substantial dishes at lunch and dinner: dry-aged cuts of beef, grilled vegetables and chickpea fries; the catch of the day cooked over a wood fire; octopus stewed in white wine, etc. // Wanda Wagner

FEELING THIRSTY? Natural beverages: an Alsatian Pinot blanc from the Domaine Neumeyer (€6.50 a glass), a Gironde Merlot-Malbec from Les Closeries des Moussis (€45 a bottle), a Sancerre red from the Domaine Vacheron (€60)…
PRICE: Set menus €16.50 to €21 (lunch), tapas €7-15 (dinner), mains €15-25, “brezzé” (brunch/mezze) €20, kids’ menu €10.